569th Strategic Missile Squadron

569th Strategic Missile Squadron
Emblem of the 569th Strategic Missile Squadron
Active	1942-1945; 1962-1965
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Strategic Missile

Emblem of the World War II 569th Bombardment Squadron

The 569th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 9th Strategic Aerospace Wing, stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. It was inactivated on 1 April 1965.

History

Activated in early 1943 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomb squadron, trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to England in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during July 1943, assigned to VIII Bomber Command as a strategic bombardment squadron. Participated in the air offensive over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until German capitulation in May 1945. Personnel demobilized in England and returned to the United States; squadron reassigned to Second Air Force and was programmed to be re-equipped with B-29 Superfortresses for deployment to Pacific Theater. Japanese capitulation led to units inactivation in August 1945, being neither manned or equipped.

Activated in the postwar Air Force Reserve as a B-29 squadron in 1947. Inactivated due to budget reductions in 1949.

Reactivated in 1961 as a HGM-25A Titan I ICBM launch squadron, the last such activation of a Titan I squadron within the Strategic Air Command. Squadron was deployed in a 3x3 configuration, which meant a total of nine missiles were divided into three bases. Each missile base had three ICBM missiles ready to launch at any given time.

On November 19, 1964, Defense Secretary McNamara announced the phase-out of remaining first-generation SM-65 Atlas and Titan I missiles by the end of June 1965. Consequently, the Titan Is of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron were removed from alert status on January 4, 1965. The Air Force subsequently deactivated the squadron on 1 April 1965

Lineage

• Constituted 569th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 15 January 1943

Activated on 26 January 1943

Inactivated on 28 August 1945

• Redesignated as 569th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 3 July 1947

Activated in the reserve on 24 June 1947

Inactivated on 27 June 1949

• Redesignated 569th Strategic Missile Squadron, and activated, on 12 December 1960

Organized on 1 June 1961

Inactivated on 1 April 1965

Assignments

• 390th Bombardment Group, 26 January 1943-28 August 1945
• Second Air Force, 24 July 1947
• Tenth Air Force, 1 Ju1 1948-27 June 1949
• Strategic Air Command, 12 December 1960
• 9th Bombardment (later Strategic Aerospace) Wing, 1 June 1961-31 July 1984

Stations

• Geiger Field, Washington, 26 January 1943
• Great Falls Army Air Base, Montana, 6 June-4 July 1943
• RAF Framlingham (AAF-153), England, 26 July 1943-6 August 1945
• Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, 14–28 August 1945
• Lowry Field, Colorado, 24 July 1947-27 June 1949
• Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, 1 May 1962-31 July 1984

Aircraft and missiles

• B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945
• B-29 Superfortress, 1947–1949
• SM-68 Titan I Missile 1962-1964

Operated three missile sites:

569-A, 12 miles SW of Hot Spring, Idaho 42°40′14″N 115°52′02″W

569-B, 7 miles E of Oreana, Idaho 43°03′58″N 116°15′50″W

569-C, 3 miles NE of Orchard, Idaho 43°20′42″N 115°59′33″W

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0892010975